


Blue Ain't Your Color

by GranolaPerks



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Light Drinking, M/M, mostly talking and some cute fluffy stuff, they're in a bar but not that much is happening y'know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-25
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2018-08-24 13:24:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8373814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GranolaPerks/pseuds/GranolaPerks
Summary: Kent’s become sort of fine-tuned to the emotions and reactions of others. The small way their mouths tighten when something makes them uncomfortable, the way their eyes narrow and dart away for a fraction of a second. Dead giveaways that not enough people catch up on. 
But Kent does. 
And he is picking up some serious vibes from the man across the bar.





	

Kent’s got a talent. He can always tell when something’s off. He felt the need to learn around the time he was drafted to the Aces. He cared about his team, and couldn't let what happened before happen again to someone he cared about  Kent’s become sort of fine-tuned to the emotions and reactions of others. The small way their mouths tighten when something makes them uncomfortable, the way their eyes narrow and dart away for a fraction of a second. Dead giveaways that not enough people catch up on. 

But Kent does. 

And he is picking up some serious vibes from the man across the bar.

Most people, even when they’re alone, still have a slight smile on their face. They nod their heads to the beat of the song pulsing through the bar, roam their eyes over the crowd, if there is one. They don’t scowl, head down staring into a red drink in front of them.

Kent feels the need to go talk to him, a drawing pressure in his stomach that makes him more uncomfortable every second he waits to get up, every time he tells himself its none of his business. 

He’s not one of his teammates though. Kent is here tonight for them. He knows how alcohol can emotionally effect some people, and while Kent himself is drinking, he’s mostly here to look out for the others. They all seem to be fine though, large smiles, bodies rocking close to others on the makeshift dance floor the made in the bar. They’re all good. But the man…

Kent can’t stop looking over at him. He doesn’t think he’s noticed, he’s not sure he’s looked up more than once or twice, usually just to scowl at whoever’s come close to him. 

He can’t hold back anymore. Kent grabs his drink and stands, swallowing as he moves over to the man. The closer he gets, the bigger he notices he is. His shoulder’s are hunched over but it really doesn’t do much to make him any smaller. If anything, it makes him seem more menacing. He swallows again as he reaches the side of his table, the front of his thighs press against the rounded wood, both hands holding his drink in front of him. 

He doesn’t clear his throat, doesn’t say anything, just waits for the man to look up, which he eventually does.

“Go away,” he says, voice deep, a bit scratchy, seemingly accented. He turns back down to his drink

Kent presses his lips together, considering leaving, but the tugging in his stomach is still there. He shakes his head. The man looks up again. 

“Leave.” 

His eyes are brown, and Kent can sense that they should be warm, but they seem dull. They’re locked on him, and Kent feels the threat behind his words, but knows there isn’t any real danger. He steels himself and moves the side, dropping down onto the bench seat and sliding around the bend in it to sit near the man, who seems pretty irritated. 

“Can you listen?”

Kent shrugs. “I guess not.” 

The man looks out, looks to his left, and considers leaving, but stays. He grabs his drink and takes a gulp. “What you want?” He draws his legs closer together and refuses to look back to Kent.

“You look like you need some company.” He’s drawing his eyes over his face, trying to catch any shift in his expression. 

His eyes shift over to look at Kent, then flash back to his drink as he scoffs. “Right. _Company_.”

Kent clears his throat. “Yeah. Exactly.” He sips his drink, trying to act relaxed, but now that he’s beside the man he realizes how small he is, or in fact, how large the other one is. “What’s your accent?” He looks confused, so Kent clarifies. “Sounds Russian, or something.”

The man nods. “Yeah. Russian.”

“Where you from?” Kent’s trying to get him to open up and it’s not really working.

“Saint Petersburg.”

“Oh cool that’s the capital, right?”

“Nope.” The man swigs his drink and Kent sighs. 

He shakes his head and tries again. “I’m Kent. What’s your name?”

The man finishes his drink and slams it on the table, shifting slightly to Kent, though still not looking at him. “Let’s get this over with. Let’s go. My place?”

Kent looks stunned. “What?”

“Sex, yeah?”

Kent’s eyes widen. “W-what? No. I mean…” Kent looks at him, like, properly looks at him, and yeah, he wouldn’t mind some of that, but… “Dude that’s not what I’m here for.”

“Why else you be talking to me?”

He sighs. How do you tell someone they look lonely, like they need someone, friend or otherwise. Kent wants to be there for everyone, even some random man twice his size, who definitely doesn’t want him here. “No one likes to be alone. And, well…” 

“So you… leading up to sex?”

Kent groans and drops his head. What the fuck. “Dude, listen. I'm not trying to be another pick you up kinda guy. Don’t get me wrong, you’re… y’know. But that’s not what I’m here for.

The man looks at him, actually looks at him, and Kent rolls his eyes to look up, still keeping his head down. He seems… weary, but his eyes have softened a bit. They don’t look full of hate anymore, but filled with something else. 

He clears his throat. “Alexei,” he says, looking back to his drink.

Kent sits back up, lifting his head. “That’s a nice name. Rolls off the tongue. Alexei,” he says, trying to roll the l. The other man lets out a small chuckle, and Kent smiles.

They talk for a long while, and a few rounds of them buying each other drinks, and it takes some time, but Alexei– Kent really likes that name– finally looks at him, lets small smiles out every once in a while, and has a laugh that Kent is drawn to despite the booming nature of it. 

“You know,” Kent says, the both of them finally comfortable. “I actually came to talk to you because you seemed… I don’t know… sad? Upset, maybe?” Alexei makes a face, pressing his lips together and looking away, and Kent grimaces. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable…” He looks away too, and Alexei notices.

He clears his throat. “No, is okay.”

Kent looks at him out of the corner of his eyes. “Why are you here? I mean, you sure didn’t seem to want to talk to anyone…”

Alexei lets out a half chuckle, one to just calm the air. “Where else you supposed to meet people?”

“You don’t seem that into meeting people.”

Alexei shakes his head. “You know, they never interested in you when you like me. I’m… big. I’m good looking. I’ve got dazzling smile,” he flashes his teeth and Kent laughs. “I’m for sex. That’s all I’m good for. And it… it gets tiring. Like yeah it good and fun but… After while it’s the same thing. And I’m used to it, it okay,” he adds, trying to reassure Kent. “but I wish they’d try more sometimes, yeah?”

Kent nods. “You’re not just a fucktoy, you know that?” Alexei nods but Kent’s not sure he understands. He turns a little closer to Alexei, places a hand on his arm. “You’re worth more than a good fuck.”

Alexei stiffens under his hand, and seems to be on the defensive after that. “What do you know.”

Kent’s not giving up. He squeezes his arm. “You’re not. Alexei, I’ve been talking to you for like, what, an hour? Two?” He hiccups and shakes his head. “I don’t know, I’m a little drunk, not so good with time… But I can tell you’re a great guy. And yeah, you’re fucking _gorgeous_ , you’re pretty much an adonis, and I’m saying that just looking at you clothed, but you’re more than that. I mean, you’ve got a great job, and that’s just like, the shallow shit!” 

Kent turns more towards Alexei, reaching across him to grab his other arm, turning him more towards him. Alexei looks a little uncomfortable but doesn’t stop him, and Kent’s too drunk to stop himself. “But you’re way more than that. Dude, you’re so interesting. You came here from _Russia_. You’re making it on your own in America and that isn’t fucking easy, dude. You’re hilarious, even though you don’t seem to think so because you always frown a little after you say a joke, and your stories are fucking fascinating, and you don’t think so ‘cause you always are watching me trying to see if I’m paying attention, which I am, because they’re fucking fascinating,”– Kent knows he's rambling at this point, and he wants to stop, because there’s a lot he can say, but none of it is coming to mind and Alexei has bent his arms to hold Kent’s forearms and he’s saying something but it takes a moment for Kent to catch on and shut up.

“Kent.” He blinks a few times. “Kent.”

Kent nods. “Yeah.”

Alexei smiles and squeezes Kent’s forearms. “Thank you.” He waits a moment, rubbing his thumbs on Kent’s arms, then squeezes again. He surprised that his hands are a gentle as they are. He expects rough, but he gets soft, and it kind of melts his drunk heart. Kent smiles, locking eyes with Alexei, and he sees the warm brown in them, and they’re getting closer and closer and Kent realizes what’s happening right as it happens, and he closes his eyes as Alexei’s lips hit his.

He’s surprised for a second, when he realizes he actually being kissed, but he kisses back, and tries to move closer, but fails when their knees knock together. He pulls back when Alexei does, and laughs.

“I, uh,” he laughs again. “I promise I didn’t plan for that to happen.”

It’s Alexei’s turn to laugh, and he does. “I wanted it to happen. Promise.” He smiles, and Kent smiles right back. “I like you, Kent.”

“I like you, too.” He squeezes Alexei’s biceps. “You’re not just doing this ‘cause you want to get me into bed?”

Alexei laughs. “That supposed to be my line, no?”

Kent smiles again, and Alexei smiles right back at him, and he can feel the start of something really good starting to grow. 

**Author's Note:**

> I was considering adding to this but then I was like nah?? Anyway if you like this, let me know, I might write more patater at some point.


End file.
